How where you live in London determines your musical taste

A new poll has given an interesting spin to our commuting habits: finding that North Londoners are more prone to listening to classical music on their commute than South Londoners.

The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Philharmonic Orchestra looked at the different genres of music that people choose to put on during their commute and how this varied depending on their location, method of transport and the time of day.

It emerged that North Londoners are more prone to choosing classical music, with 25% opting to tune in on their commute, whereas those south of the river prefer other genres.

A spokesperson for the orchestra said “The findings may add fuel to the fire of the light-hearted north-south rivalry, with the results painting north Londoners as the more cultural or educated of the two counterparts.”

If these commuters are coming from North London you can expect that 25% are listening to classical music

More interestingly, the genres people choose to listen to vary throughout the day - in the mornings we are more likely to listen to upbeat pop or rock music with 49% of people listening to pop and 38% opting for rock, and classical music very low in the stakes. But when asked about their evening commute, classical music was much more highly listened to, with 13% of Londoners overall choosing it on the way home, perhaps as a way to wind down after a long day at the office.

Similarly, the method of transport you use has some sort of effect on your choices, with bike riders choosing heavy metal above all genres on their way to work, but soothing classical music in the evening. 29% of those who drive cars to work listen to classical music, whereas those who ride the bus are the most inclined to listen to faith or gospel music.

The survey doesn't go into the reasons behind these choices, but it might leave you able to predict what music will be blaring out of the headphones of the inevitable irritating person next to you on your way to work tomorrow.